Shipping container

ABSTRACT

A shipping container for air transport of a casket or the like is provided, which can be shipped to the user in a compact condition, erected at the place of use, and discarded after use. The elements of the shipping container involve in combination a casket protecting enclosure and a lifting flat plate positioned beneath the casket. A shipping container is provided as well as a package made up of the parts of the shipping container.

United States Patent [191 Dittb'enner 1 Jan. 1, 1974 SHIPPING CONTAINER [76] Inventor: Clyde A. Dittbenner, 15 North St.,

Andrew Drl, Ormond Beach, Fla. 32074 [22] Filed: June 29, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 267,706

[52] U.S. Cl 229/14 R, 27/35, 206/46 FN, 229/23 B'l', 229/41 R, 229/52, AL

[51] Int. Cl 865d 5/46,-B65d 5/50, 865d 25/22 [58] Field of Search 229/14 R, 23 R, 23 BT, 229/52 AL; 206/46 FN; 27/35; DI9/1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,661,318 5/1972 Miller et a]. 229/23 BT 2,346,466 4/1944 Belsinger 229/23 R 1,807,770 6/1931 Beaman 27/35 785.102 3/1905 Hougland D227,247 6/1973 Dittbenner et al D19/1 Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Att0rneyWynne and Finken 57 ABSTRACT A shipping container for air transport of a casket or the like is provided, which can be shipped to the user in a compact condition, erected at the place of use, and discarded after use. The elements of the shipping container involve in combination a casket protecting enclosure and a lifting flat plate positioned beneath the casket. A shipping container is provided as well as a package made up of the parts of the shipping container.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUJAN 14 3.782.619

FIG I SHIPPING CONTAINER PRIOR ART Air'transport of caskets has presented a problem in that the shipping container for caskets must resist normal handling damage, weather, and the like. Therefore, shipping containers have been expensive and hence normally returned for further usage. As is known, breakage, loss, and return charges have been a burden and a significant part of the cost in the transport of caskets by air.

A package is provided which includes a bottom tray, a flat panel of strong material which engages the casket bottom, a box which serves as the shipping container top cover and which encloses the bottom tray when in package form. The height of the package is about four inches. Enclosed within the box is a reinforcing band in flattened condition which lines the walls of the shipping container when erected. a

The drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the parts erectedand positioned for the production of a shipping container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shipping container assembled;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the package.

The basic parts of the shipping container are:

bottom tray flat plate 16 with lifting handles 17 and securing strap means 18;

reinforcing band 19;

box 20; and

plastic film hood 2] (FIG. 3).

The bottom tray 15 has a bottom member 22 and fully connected side walls 23 and end walls 24 which form an upstanding rectangular tube. The end walls 24 have side extensions 25 positioned inside the side walls 23 and connected thereto, preferably by staples 26 which have their legs 27 clenched at the outer faces of the side walls 23. Reinforcing means 28 are provided on the inside faces of the side walls to prevent injury to a casket or the like by lift trucks, preferably these being four rectangular pressboard members'29 stapled to the sidewalls in the manner previously discussed, at suit able positions. Slots 30 are provided inthe side walls and end walls, preferably at the bottoms thereof, for passage of strap means 18, and handles attached to the flat plate 16. Two slots 30 are provided in each side wall 23 and three slots 30 in each end wall 24, with the side wall slots serving both the handles 17 and the strap means 18.

The flat plate 16 is flexible and hard and may be of pressboard or the like. It serves as a lifting force transmitting device for the casket. In a sense, the bottom tray 15 is suspended from the flat plate 16 when the inover the tray 15 to produce an integrated tightly bound combination of the flat plate 16, casket 51, and box or top cover 20.

The top cover, which serves as the package box 20, as shown inFIG. 4, has a rectangular top member 52, a depending peripheral continuous flange 53 which forms a depending rectangular tube. Depending from this tube are fully-connected side panels 54, and end tegrated casket and shipping container are lifted. The

panels 55, which form an extension of the depending tube, thereby forming therewith a peripheral unit depending from the top member 52 for enclosing the upper portion ofa casket. As with the bottom tray 15,

the top cover has side extensions, preferably connected by staples to the side panels 54. However, in this case, the legs of the staples are clenched at the inside face of the extensions to provide a smooth outer surface for the container.

Preferably the end walls 24 and end panels 55 of the tray 15 and box 20, respectively, are scored, as shown, to facilitate collapse in the normal fashion in the production of the package of FIG. 4.

The upstanding rectangular tube of the tray telescopically and externally receives the depending rectangular tube of the box 20, thus providing protection from rain damage.

Preferably, a reinforcing band 19 is provided which is in the form of a rectangular upstanding wall which seats along the'outer periphery of the tray bottom member 22 and extends upwardly into the telescoping cover 20, a distance sufficient to cover the inside clenched staple legs positioned in the lower portion of the side panels 54 of the cover. The reinforcing band 19 has a vertical score line in the middle of each end wall to enable inward collapsing or flattening when it becomes part of the package of FIG. 4.

A plastic film hood 24 (FIG. 3) is provided for draping over the casket. Also a waterproof plastic pouch (not shown) is included with the package when shipped to the user for use for burial permits and accompanying papers.

FIG. 3, from left to right, shows a strap 18, box 20, tray 15, reinforcing member 29, band 19, hood 21, and casket 51. From bottom to top there are the tray 15, the plate 16, and the casket 51. l The package of FIG. 4 is formed by placing the flat plate 16 in the tray 15, collapsing the end walls 24; placing the reinforcing band 19 in collapsed condition thereon, along with the hood 24, and then placing the box 20 thereover with its collapsed end panels 55 and side panels 54 forming the bottom, its flange 53 providing the sides and ends of the package. The package may then be secured by straps or the like for shipment to the user.

In use, the tray is opened up or erected and the casket 51, is placed therein on top of the flat plate 16, the

handles and straps having been passed through the appropriate slots. The plastic film hood 21 is then draped over thecasket, and then the reinforcing band 19 is slid thereover and telescoped within the tray into seated position. The box 20 is then telescoped over the assem-' bly and the straps tightened to form an integrated unit.

Caskets are about 88 inches long and 28 inches wide. The container is manufactured to provide reasonable clearance to facilitate assembly. For example, two inches of play at each end are provided and the telescoping of the parts takes care of different casket heights. The box is about 92 inches long, about 30 inches wide, with its flange 4 inches in height, and its panels 11 inches in height. lts staple zone extends upwa'rdly from the lower panel edge about 6 inches. The reinforcing band 19 is about 15 inches high to insure its covering of the staples of the cover as well as those in the tray. The flat plate 16 is about 28 inches wide. The box 20, band 19, andtray 15 are preferably of waterproof cardboard. The walls of the tray are about 8 inches high.

' What is claimed is:

l. A package made up of the parts of a shipping container for a casket or the like comprising,

a bottom tray having a bottom member and fully connected side walls and end walls forming an upstanding rectangular tube when the package is converted to a shipping container, one pair of opposed walls having means enabling the collapsing thereof, whereby said side walls and said end walls are in flattened pancaked superposition on said bottom member, the other pair of opposed walls having reinforcing means along their inside surfaces;

a flat plate substantially coextensive with said bottom member and having lifting handles and securing strap means affixed thereto, said bottom tray having slots allowing passage of said handles and said strap means when the package is converted to a shipping container;

a box which serves as the shipping container top cover having a top member, a depending peripheral continuous flange forming a depending rectangular tube; and fully connected side panels and end panels adapted to depend from said flange as an extension of said depending rectangular tube when the package is converted to a shipping container, one pair of opposed panels having means enabling the collapsing thereof whereby side panels and said end panels are in flattened enclosing condition under said bottom tray; and reinforcing band adapted for lining the interior walls of the shipping container when the package is so converted and which is collapsed and positioned within said box.

said box enclosing said bottom tray with said flat plate and reinforcing band sandwiched therebetween.

2. A shipping container for a casket comprising,

a bottom tray having a bottom member, side walls and end walls, said walls having slots;

a flat plate seated in said tray for substantially coextensive contact with the bottom of a casket and having handles and straps affixed thereto which extend out of said slots;

a reinforcing band seated in said tray and extending upwardly around and beyond the interior faces of the side walls and end walls thereof; and

a top cover telescopically positioned over said bottom tray having a top member, an unbroken peripheral flange depending therefrom, and end panels and side panels depending from said flange;

siad straps encircling said top cover to enable the production of a tightly integrated unit when a casket is within the container.

3. A shipping container for a casket comprising,

a bottom tray having a bottom member, side walls and end walls, said side walls having slots;

a flat plate seated in said tray for substantially coextensive contact with the bottom of a casket and having handles and straps affixed thereto which extend out of said slots;

a reinforcing band seated in said tray and extending upwardly around and beyond the interior faces of the side walls and end walls thereof; and

a top cover positioned over said bottom tray having a top member, and a peripheral unit depending therefrom for enclosing the upper portion of a casket;

said straps encircling said top cover to enable the production of a tightly integrated unit when a casket is within the container. 

1. A package made up of the parts of a shipping container for a casket or the like comprising, a bottom tray having a bottom member and fully connected side walls and end walls forming an upstanding rectangular tube when the package is converted to a shipping container, one pair of opposed walls having means enabling the collapsing thereof, whereby said side walls and said end walls are in flattened pancaked superposition on said bottom member, the other pair of opposed walls having reinforcing means along their inside surfaces; a flat plate substantially coextensive with said bottom member and having lifting handles and securing strap means affixed thereto, said bottom tray having slots allowing passage of said handles and said strap means when the package is converted to a shipping container; a box which serves as the shipping container top cover having a top member, a depending peripheral continuous flange forming a depending rectangular tube; and fully connected side panels and end panels adapted to depend from said flange as an extension of said depending rectangular tube when the package is converted to a shipping container, one pair of opposed panels having means enabling the collapsing thereof whereby side panels and said end panels are in flattened enclosing condition under said bottom tray; and a reinforcing band adapted for lining the interior walls of the shipping container when the package is so converted and which is collapsed and positioned within said box, said box enclosing said bottom tray with said flat plate and reinforcing band sandwiched therebetween.
 2. A shipping container for a casket comprising, a bottom tray having a bottom member, side walls and end walls, said walls having slots; a flat plate seated in said tray for substantially coextensive contact with the bottom of a casket and having handles and straps affixed thereto which extend out of said slots; a reinforcing band seated in said tray and extending upwardly around and beyond the interior faces of the side walls and end walls thereof; and a top cover telescopically positioned over said bottom tray having a top member, an unbroken peripheral flange depending therefrom, and end panels and side panels depending from said flange; said straps encircling said top cover to enable the production of a tightly integrated unit when a casket is within the container.
 3. A shipping container for a casket comprising, a bottom tray having a bottom member, side walls and end walls, said side walls having slots; a flat plate seated in said tray for substantially coextensive contact with the bottom of a casket and having handles and straps affixed thereto which extend out of said slots; a reinforcing band seated in said tray and extending upwardly around and beyond the interior faces of the side walls and end walls thereof; and a top cover positioned over said bottom tray having a top member, and a peripheral unit depending therefrom for enclosing the upper portion of a casket; said straps encircling said top cover to enable the production of a tightly integrated unit when a casket is within the container. 